Online Web 2.007 Advertising That Makes Sense

Coming up with a great idea is what most of us dream about at least some of the time, then finding a way to publicize it and make it happen is probably way too much for the majority.

Six months ago, local Houstonian Edmond McGuyer was, to most people, an unknown name. Google him now and you will get countless pages extolling the virtues of ShopFromHomepage which is Edmond’s killer idea.

For those who are new to it, Edmond basically took the simple, visual concept of having a map detailing familiar streets and landmarks and married it to the digital online world and its click-and-go capability to produce a simple, visual navigation of shopping resources in a city in a pixel-driven, interactive digital version.

In ShopFromHomepage, advertisers buy pixel ad space for a year and shoppers benefit by finding what they want in their area quickly and efficiently. They look, they click, they buy. Simple.

Of course, at this level nothing is really ‘simple’. Edmond’s vision is a democratic, people-orientated one that utilizes the equalizing power of the net to level the playing field for more business and drive dedicated customers straight to their doors.

So far, so good. This is a story of an internet entrepreneur with a passion for helping the ‘small’ businessman. What makes it even more interesting is what Edmond did to promote it all which had something to do involving world domination and Lex Luthor (and for this story you will just have to use Google).

What is interesting is that Edmond McGuyer, who also keeps his finger squarely on the pulse of the web, was quick to also point out fallacies and fads that he felt were harming the online advertising business.

Enter Pixelotto. Pixelotto is the idea of another famous internet entrepreneur from the UK and it is also a simple idea. Pixelotto was the brainchild of Alex Tew and, as the name suggests, involved the sale of pixels to advertisers and the chance to win a million dollars to clickers who clicked a minimum number of times.

While there was a big buzz by both clickers and advertisers with the idea, it was Edmond who quickly spotted that Pixelotto basically created a click-fraud industry in one simple (and probably inadvertent) move.

It encouraged wild, random clicking by visitors interested in one thing only: the chance to make a million dollars. This meant that the advertisers were getting more traffic but no real business.

Edmond’s response on blogs and websites about Pixelotto cast the light of reason on an online advertising model that was good for none but its founder: Alex Tew.

With ShopFromHomepage as the only viable means for local people to find what they want in their city fast, the question now remains: Once Edmond’s company succeeds in mapping all our major cities, what will he do next?